Why do people live in Australia?

The continent has most of the world's most poisonous snakes, not only on land but in the ocean. It has the world's largest crocodiles, and one can be devoured by one in or near the ocean or a river, and then out in the surf great white sharks abound. And I haven't even mentioned box jellyfish, blue ring octopi, stone fish, or the red backed and funnel spiders.

If ever a land was saying "Go away, people," it's Australia.

Add to all this that Sydney, strangely, is one of the most expensive cities on Earth and that you're so far from the United States (where everyone wants to go) and why would anyone live there, much less WANT to live there?

So, why are there people in Australia? What explains it?

Yes, and of course I'm being tongue in cheek. I'm sure there are many reasons to risk the many ways to die there.

Replies to This Discussion

And with 7,000,000,000 people on this planet, somebody's got to live there, unless you'd like to take in a few roommates.

Actually, I think Australias entire population would easily be able to slip in around the world, leaving Australia as the worlds largest wildlife sanctuary. Remember, there's more atheists in the US than there is people in Australia.

Actually, this whole thread was a product of my warped sense of humor. I'm not being all that serious, now don't you be. I knew it'd give Aussies and Australia lovers a chance to talk the place up a bit. And take some well-deserved slams at America as well.

If you lived in the US and watched a lot of nature TV, you'd know that very common themes are like "nature's most deadly" or "the world's most poisonous" and that Australia's fauna are prominently featured in shows like that.

Actually, while I wouldn't say my parents were humorless, I would say that their sense of humor was not particularly warped. They enjoyed Jack Benny, Red Skelton, Carole Burnett, and that ilk. As time went by, mainstream comedy got more and more warped and they enjoyed it less, Zeus rest their souls.

There ought to be a law against that, forcing someone to quit for economic reasons amounts to taking away freedom of choice. But then you guys don't grow any tobacco, while we do - it might be more costly to have to import the entire product.

Still, I would like to know what Onyango Makagutu has to say, about prices in Kenya, as I know that tobacco companies, faced with diminishing sales in the States, are trying to generate addictions in African and Asian countries. If his prices in Nairobi are absurdly lower than yours, I would have to think something was rotten in Australia.

Exactly as I would suspect, if tobacco companies were trying to hook Africans on nicotine addiction, although the 10 for $7 admittedly compares to Australia and is much higher than it is here.

When I lived in Mexico, I could buy a package of Mexican-made Marlboros (manufactured under the authorization of the Marlboro people) for 50 cents, but then milk and gasoline were both a dollar per gallon and rum was $2 for 750ml - good times!

There has been legislation banning the sale of single death sticks which unfortunately is difficult to implement. Every year the tax on tobacco goes up but it is not significant to dent the smokers pockets.

However, to help the public, smoking was banned in many public places and smokers have there cages where they can kill each other with smoke :)